Albert Barnes Commentary 2 Kings 25:7

"And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon." — 2 Kings 25:7 (ASV)

Before his eyes - This particular form of cruelty seems to have especially shocked the Jews, whose customs were less barbaric than those of most Eastern peoples. It is noted by Jeremiah in two places: Jeremiah 39:6 and Jeremiah 52:10.

And put out the eyes of Zedekiah - Blinding has always been one of the most common secondary punishments in the East . The blinding of Zedekiah remarkably reconciled two prophecies about him that seemed contradictory. Jeremiah had prophesied distinctly that he would be carried to Babylon (Jeremiah 32:5; Jeremiah 34:3), while Ezekiel had said that he would not see Babylon (Ezekiel 12:13). His being blinded before he was carried to the conqueror’s capital fulfilled the predictions of both prophets.

With fetters of bronze - This literally means “with two bronze chains” (see the marginal note for Jeremiah 39:7). Assyrian captives are usually represented as bound hand and foot—the two hands secured by one chain and the two feet by another. According to Jewish tradition, Zedekiah was, like other slaves, forced to work in a mill at Babylon. Jeremiah tells us that he was kept in prison until he died (Jeremiah 52:11).